As nearly 80,000 rescue workers toil day and night while stricken parents watch for any sign of life from their children buried beneath collapsed schools, Sichuan Province’s infrastructure is slowly becoming operational again. The death toll has climbed to 15,000 and it is estimated that more than 25,000 people are still buried under collapsed buildings.

Shards of good news are celebrated amidst the horrible tragedy. Yesterday a three-year-old girl was pulled out alive after 40 hours beneath her parents who died to save her life. A pregnant woman in her eighth month was rescued with her mother from her flattened home. But tragedies outweigh the good news as the entire nation watches the rescue efforts and mobilizes to help the people of Sichuan Province. Shanghai municipality alone has pledged not only medical and rescue staff and materials but also nearly US$ 2 million in monetary aid.

Railway traffic was stopped on Monday, May 12 after the earthquake affecting over thirty passenger trains as well as over one-hundred freight trains. No rail passengers were reported to be injured. Only one line, the Baoji-Chengdu link is not yet operational due to quake damaged bridges and rail beds.

Fifty foreign tourists and journalists stranded at Wolong Nature Preserve (a Giant Panda protection base) have been accounted for and are organized at a local hotel.

Drinking water has been tested around the quake-affected areas and is being reported as mostly safe. It is not advised for travelers (non-locals) to drink tap water anywhere in China. If you do drink tap water, it should be boiled first.

Electricity has been re-supplied to approximately forty percent of the homes cut off after the earthquake. Nearly 700,000 households were affected.

Source: Shanghai Daily